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- Brice Sensabaugh led the Utah Jazz to a 105-92 victory over the Orlando Magic.
- Sensabaugh scored 27 points, maintaining a strong performance in his home state of Florida.
- Jazz coach Will Hardy praised Sensabaugh's consistency and confidence in recent games.
ORLANDO — Looking at the injury report, you wouldn't have been blamed in thinking the Utah Jazz were taking a rest day.
Lauri Markkanen was out with low back spasms, Jordan Clarkson didn't play due to plantar fasciitis, left heel soreness kept Keyonte George out, and John Collins missed the game for personal reasons. That meant four of the Jazz's top five point-getters this season were absent in Orlando.
Utah won anyway.
Orlando native Brice Sensabaugh returned and dropped 27 points to lead Utah to a 105-92 win over the equally banged-up Magic.
And how the last two games have gone for Sensabaugh, he might never want to leave Florida.
In back-to-back games in his home state, Sensabaigh averaged 30.5 points and shot 62% from the field, while also going 12-of-17 from 3-point range.
Oh, and he led the team to two wins.
"We talk a lot with our young players about this is an every-night business, and the best players are the best players because of their consistency," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "I'm not saying I expect Brice to score over 25 points every game, but I thought it was a big step for him, his confidence, his belief in the work he's doing to have this game two nights in a row."
Sensabaugh had 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz deliver the finishing blow. For the game, he was 11-of-19 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-point range, coming off the bench to lead the team in scoring.
And it wasn't lost on Hardy that he was able to have such a big performance in his hometown.
"To come home on the second night of a back-to-back after a massive game last night, I just feel happy for him that he was able to have a good game back home in front of all of his people," Hardy said.
Walker Kessler had 10 points and 17 rebounds, including six offensive boards — a stat in which he leads the league. Collin Sexton scored 10 of his 20 points during a pivotal third quarter where the Jazz took a double-digit lead. Kyle Filipowski, playing in his most minutes (30) of the season, had 12 points and seven rebounds.
"This was a team win," Hardy said. "I thought everybody who went in the game had moments, and that's what a team is, and that's what we want to be."
Now, the Magic squad the Jazz played was a shell of the team that won 13 of 14 games between November and December (even without star Paolo Banchero). Orlando was without Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moe Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris. The Magic didn't suit up anyone on Sunday who has averaged double figures this season.
So in a battle of deep bench units, the Jazz came out on top.
"It shows how good this team can be and the bright future we have moving forward," Filipowski said. "When we're playing well together there's a lot of potential that lies ahead."
Especially if the Jazz are playing in the Eastern Conference — Utah is now 6-4 against the East and 3-21 against the West.
Some good news (or bad news depending on how you feel about lottery odds) on that front: Four of Utah's next five games are against East teams, beginning with Tuesday's contest against Quin Snyder's Atlanta Hawks.
So more wins may be on the horizon — particularly if Sensabaugh keeps hitting at his recent clip.
"I'm just trying to build," he said. "I've got my rhythm going a little bit, so just try to keep it going and find the right shots, and make sure I'm putting my hand in the cookie jar and make sure it goes in."
It sure did on Sunday.
"It's definitely encouraging to see how Brice has continued to fight early in his career," Hardy said. "Last year, he didn't get very much opportunity. Early on this year, he wasn't getting a ton of opportunity, but he stayed focused and poised, and he's earning minutes."
